Axle or journal box.



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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM E. PRINDLE, OF JOHNSIOWN` PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

AXLE OR JOURNAL BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,345, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed April 21, 1900. Serial No. 13,733. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. PRINDLE, of Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Axle or Journal Boxes, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in axle or journal boxes, and more particularly to the lids or covers thereof, being designed to provide means of novel and eective character for I5 holding the lid securely closed to its seat and also in its opened position.

With this object in view my invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and

zo pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying draw- Ings.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a journal-box embodying my invenlion, partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 is aplan View, also partly broken away, of a portion of the box and lid; and Eig. 4 is a section on the line l of Fig. 3 or the line 2 of Fig. l.

The letter A designates the box proper, and B the lid or cover, having an eye or barrel portion B, which pivotally engages a pin or pintle C, secured iu end lugs D D on the box. The eye or barrel portion B is made shorter than the distance between the lugs D D', and

interposed between one end thereof and the lng D is a helical spring E, which is coiled around the pin or pintle C. The other end of said eye or barrel is formed with a cam 4o projection E, and the adjacent face of the lug D is formed with acam-surface composed of a high portiong and depressed portions g g2. To lessen the friction between the cam-surfaces, the projection F is preferably provided with an antifriotion-rollerf,which is arranged to bear on the cam-surfaces g g g2, as shown.

H is a curved guard-plate secured to'the box Aand which, in connection with aguardplate H', secured to the upper portion of the lid, incloses the springand cams and excludes 5o the entrance of dust, dirt, weather, dto. The guard-plate H' is arranged to move underneath the guard-plate H when the lid is opened, as will be readily understood from Fig. 4.

When the lid is closed, the cam projection E is in engagement with the depressed portion g', and the lid is held tightly to its seat by the spring E, since any tendency of the lid to open will cause the antifriction-roller 6o f to ride up the inclined surface of the raised., portion g, thereby effecting a greater compression of said spring. When the lid is manually opened to its full extent, the roller f rides over lthe high portion g and into the depression g2. The spring will now act to hold the lid open.

While it is desirable to have the spring act to hold the lid in its open as Well as in its Yclosed position, the former is not absolutely 7o essential, since the lid may be so arranged that it would remain open by gravity. Hence I do not Wish to limit myself to the use of a double-acting spring; nor do I wish to limit myself in other respects to the mechanical details which I have herein shown and described, as these may be varied Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what 8o I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of an axle or journal box, having lugs or projections thereon, a pin or pintle carried by said lugs, a lid or cover carried by said pin or pintle, a spring seated between the pivoted portion of the lid or cover and one of said lugs, and cooperating cam devices on said lid or cover and the other of said lugs.

2. The combination of the box proper, having projecting lugs at its upper portion, the lid or cover having an eye or barrel portion pivoted between the said lugs, the spring seated between said eye or barrel portion and one of the said lugs, means whereby movement of the said lid effects a compression of said spring, and coperating guard-plates on the box and lid which inclose the said spring.

3. The combination With tbe box, the hinged ried by the box or cover and forming an inclosure foi said spring and the cam devices. Io

In testimony whereof I have :mixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. PRINDLE.

Witnesses:

lid or cover, the spring, and the cam devices, BLANCHE M. SMITH, of the copexating curved guard-plates car- H. W. SMITH. 

